High powered horn antennas, such as those used in satellite communications, can produce a focused high flux density that creates challenges for testing the communication electronics attached to a horn antenna. To test attached electronics, one typical configuration includes a Radio Frequency (RF) absorber backed by an actively cooled aluminum plate which is positioned in front of the horn antenna. A thin aluminum shroud surrounding the space between the absorber and the horn antenna can be added to create a Field Aperture Load (FAL) configuration. Limits on the absorption and cooling rate of the FAL limit the maximum allowable flux density at the absorber pad. To reduce the flux density at the absorber pad, the absorber pad can be moved farther from the horn antenna such that the energy emitted from the horn is more diffuse and a sufficiently low maximum flux density is found. As the absorber pad moves further from the horn, the entire FAL, including the aluminum shroud, must grow.
Large test configurations can create increase costs and create other challenges, especially during Spacecraft Thermal Vacuum (SCTV) testing. SCTV testing is often required for satellite communication systems and it requires an entire test configuration to fit within a vacuum chamber. Large vacuum chamber testing facilities are generally expensive with limited schedule availability.